Monday 28th August marked 38 years since our beloved Gurudev Jeevanpran Swamibapa departed this mortal world. In the divine presence of Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, a special assembly was held in commemoration.

Antardhanotsav began with thirty minutes of dhyaan – a form of worship and devotion that was especially dear to Jeevanpran Swamibapa. The entire sabha sat in deep meditation as Jeevanpran Swamibapa described the beauty and splendour of each part of the Lord’s divine Murti as a means to aid visualising Him. Immediately following this, senior representatives of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury as well as visiting senior members of our sister Mandirs around the world, joined Acharya Swamishree Maharaj and Sants in offering Poojan to Jeevanpran Swamibapa, on behalf of the entire congregation.

An especially prepared video was then shown – depicting the divine life and times of Jeevanpran Swamibapa. For the elders in the sabha, it brought back sweet memories of when He visited London and the grand parades and events that were held in His honour. For the younger audience, it served as a reminder of Jeevanpran Swamibapa’s pioneering and tireless efforts to reach His disciple all over the world at a time when it was considered heresy, but later emulated by others. Footage from Swamibapa’s latter and final days brought a poignant tone to the evening, as His divine actions at Windermere, Lake District in 1979, were seen in the video, as well as His darshan and the events immediately following His departure from His mortal body.

The evening concluded with everyone having the opportunity to offer aarti to Lord Shree Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa and Acharya Swamishree Maharaj.